Cap feeding apparatus



SePt- 4, 1945- R. J. STEWART Erm.

CAP FEEDING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 29, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l lll LMANNSSept 4, 1945. R. J. STEWART ET AL 2,384,052

CAP FEEDING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 29, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I HU (31 wdHOLd/J Patented Sept. 4, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CAP FEEDINGAPPARATUS Robert J. Stewart and John S. Bartley, Baltimore, Md.,assignors to Crown Cork da Seal Company, Inc., Baltimore, Md., acorporation of New York Application August 29, 1941, Serial No. 408,875

(Cl. 22S-88.1)

1 Claim.

This invention relates to cap feeding means and has as a principalpurpose to provide means for eifectivelv supporting a stack of caps andfor isolating the lowermost cap and supporting the remainder oi' thestack while the said lowermost cap is ejected.

, 'I'he invention is particularly applicable to a milk bottle cappingmachine such as is disclosed in Patent No. 1,956,218, granted April 24,1934, to G. J. Huntley and Harry A. Rau, although not limited to suchassociation. According to the said patent a stack of caps is supportedat three localized points and consequently deformation o! the lowermostcap is apt to occur as a result of the superimposed weight, especiallyif the cap metal is iight. According to the present invention thelowermost cap rests on ample supporting surfaces and prior to eachelecting operation caps above the lowermost are somewhat upwardlydisplaced so as to free the latter suiliciently for lateral movement.This operation is eilected, according to the preferred embodiment of theinvention which will be hereinafter described in detail, by a singlemovable blade and consequently. as over the device of the abovementioned patent, wherein there are several movable supporting membersfor the stack, the cost of manufacture is materially lowered.

Another substantial advantage is that according to the present inventionthere is positive separation o! the caps if stuck together by lacquer orsealing compound, and very thin discs can be separated withoutdistortion. According to the said patent the lowermost disc is separatedfrom the remainder and drops freely to position for ejection. Accordingto the preferred embodiment of the present invention, however, a portionof the weight of the remainder of the stack rests on the separatedlowermost cap so that the latter is held down and is bound to be engagedby the ejecting member.

Moreover. in a capping machine including our improved feed mechanism,there is no wastage when the head becomes jammed, as no caps will beseparated from the stack execpt the one which is being applied to thebottle. Since the present mechanism permits the use of caps of lightermaterial, the cost of the cap is reduced and in the capping of bottlestherewith there will be less breakage than heretofore due to the smallersealing pressure required.

Reference will now be made to the illustrative embodiment of theinvention shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of capping apparatus including the capfeeding mechanism of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a section substantially on line 2-2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a vertical section of the lower portion of the apparatus ofFigure l taken substantially on the line 3 3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a section substantially on line I-l of Figure 2 with theparts occupying the position shown in the latter iigure.

Figure 5 is a section like that of Figure 4 but showing the parts in adifferent relation.

Figure 6 is a plan view of a form of cap which the disclosed apparatusis particularly designed to feed, and

Figure 7 is a diametrical section oi the cap of Figure 6.

Referring to the drawings, reference numeral ill designates a verticalcylinder adapted to be fixedly secured to any suitable support as bybolting through a ange il. Reference numeral i2 designates the shankportion of a capping head I3, the said shank portion being splined inthe cylinder I0 for limited vertical reciprocation and normallyoccupying its lowermost position. A vertical tube M fixed on the headcasting constitutes with the vertically bored underlying portion i5 ofthe latter a cap magazine M. Pivoted to portion I5 at i5' is a baseblock I 6 which is adapted to be held in the full line operative position of Figure 1 by latch means I1, the block being adapted to swing tothe dotted line position to give access to the capping head.

Block lli is provided with a vertical cylindrical throat i8 which, inthe latched position of the block, is coaxial with a presser foot il andwith an expansible sealing ring 20 which normally lie above a capsupporting flange 2i formed in the upper portion of the throat. With acap, such as is shown in Figures 6 and 7, supported on ilange 2i, abottle elevated into the throat I8 will move the cap upwardly againstthe presser foot I9 and the cap will be applied in the manner fullydisclosed in the Huntley et al. patent and needing no repetition heresince the present development is concerned solely with mechanism forfeeding caps from a stack, as in the magazine M, to a position such ason the flange 2 I.

Fixed to the bottom of portion l5 in opposite recesses are plates 22 and23 whose margins project within the cylindrical bore of the magazine andare arcuately recessed as particularly shown in Figure 2. These inwardlyprojecting margins of plates 22 and 23 serve to support a stack of capsC in the magazine, opposite portions of substantial area of the capresting on these margins without danger of distortion due to the weight.Adia centthecappinsheadthewallorportionls recessed at its lower end, asat I4', Figure 3, above the top level of platee 22 and 2l to provideclearance for the movement of a cap on the latter toward the cappinghead and the wall oi throat il adiacent the is at Il' lust above flange2| to provide similar clearance and to provide continuations of thetopsuri'acesofplatesnandnushwiththe top of the ilange. By means whichwill now be described. a cap can be propelled from the magazine alongthe rails constituted by plates 22 and 22 into the throat i2 forapplication to a bottle.

Beneath portion i5 the block il is provided with a horizontalcylindrical bore 24 interrupted at the top by a parallel walled slot 25.Guided in bore 24 is a cylindrical member 2i to the top oi' which issecured a longitudinally 'extending bar 21 which is guided by the edgesof slot 26. The top surface of bar 21 is ilush with the top surfaces orplates 22 and 23, or is below the latter, except at its forward endwhere it is provided with an upward projection 2l, the said forward endprojecting somewhat beyond member 2G. Horlzontally elongated slots 29and Il, Figures i and 3, are formed in the side walls of the bore 24 andthrough these proiect coaxial trunnions 3i and 32 which are Secured toslide member 24. A bell crank lever 33 is pivoted intermediate its arms24 and 25 on a pin 3i mounted in a horizontal bore of the ilxed memberIl. 'Ihe arm 24 is pivoted at 21 to the tube I4 and the lower end of armI5 is pivoied at 3l to one end of a link 39 whose other end pivotallyengages trunnlon Il. n the opposite side of the machine another bellcrank lever exactly like lever 34 is pivoted on pin 28 and at the end ofits short arm to tube i4 coaxially with the pivot point I1, the long arm40, Figure 2, of this second lever being pivotally connected withtrunnion 32 through a link 4i.

In Figures 1 to 4, the head is in its lower position relative to thecasing il and from Figures 2 and 3 it will be seen that the projection2l of slide member 21 is directly adjacent the outer periphery of ilange2i, suitable clearances being provided for the leading end of the slidemember beneath the path of the cap. During the capping operation thebottle lifts the head causing the levers as at 34 to swing in aclockwise direction about pivot 36 so that slide member 21 is moved to aposition wherein the projection 28 lies just to the left of the bore ofthe magazine, Figures 2 and 3. When the bottle is lowered at the end oithe capping operation, the head follows downwardly, reversely swingingthe levers as at 34 so that the slide member 21 is returned to theposition of Figures 2 and 3.

As here shown, each cap C has a flat marginal portion CI and a circularupwardly oil'set portion C2. Complete nesting of the caps is preferablyprevented by protuberances as at C3, such provisions being disclosed inReissue Patent 19,422, issued to G. W. Booth, January 13, 1935. Themarginal portion Cl of the cap is of uniform thickness and adapted torest flatly on the inner margins of plates 22 and 23.

Pivoted above plate 23 on a vertical axis at 42 in a recess in thesuperiacent side wall of the portion I is a blade 42 having an angularhorizontal edge 44 presenting a point 4l. Above theedgelllsaninclinedorwedgesurfacewhichterminatesinailattopsurfaoftheblade.Thelowerleadingportionofthebladehasa horizontal undercut 4I so that edge44 is spaced above the surface of plate 22 a distance slightly greaterthan the thickness of the cap margin C1- Fixed to lever I5 is a plate 4lwhose inner face is recessed to provide a cam il, Hgure 2, having a facesloped to the right away from a plane surface or dwell 5i, the latterterminating in a laterally elongated hook formtlon 52. Blade 43 hasfixed therein an upwardly projecting pin Il cooperable with the cam andhook in a manner 'which will now be described.

InFigurIiandlt-heheadisasumedtobe inthe downpositionofFlgurelanditisassumed that a cap C is supported on the iiange 2i of throat il.The stack in the magazine is supported on plates 22 and 2l and possibly,although not necessarily, on the ilat top surface of the slide member orejector 21. Blade 43 is entirely outside of the magazine bore and hencefree of thecapsinthelatter. Piniiisinthehookill of plate 48.

As a bottle is now elevated into the throat I8, the head is carriedupwardly and the levers as at 34 are swung in a clockwise direction asherefore mentioned. Projection 22 strikes the lower` most cap during theenforced return motion of the slide and agitates and loosens the stack.The at surface 5I of plaie 49 has been moving along pin 62 withoutaiecting the latter, but as the slide approaches its left hand limitposition, cam 5l reaches the pin with the result that blade 43 is swungin a clockwise direction and the edge 44 is forced between the lowermostcap, without ailecting the latter, and the succeeding cap. The edge ofthe succeeding cap is engaged by the wedge surface 46 and rides upthereon a distance determined by the thickness of the blade so that theupward oilsets of the lowermost cap and succeeding cap are substantiallyunnested, Figure 5. The eilective thickness of the blade may, of course,-be varied in accordance with the height oi' the offsets.

The weight of the stack is now supported partly on top oi' blade 43 andpartly on the opposite margin of the lowermost cap. The blade closelyoverlies, without bearing on, the marginal portion of the lower-most capwhich is in the cutout 48 and consequently it is impossible for the saidlowermost cap to escape from square support on rails 22 and 23. Theamount of inward projection of the edge 44 is, of course. determined bythe height of cam 5|), and the latter is chosen so that the said edgewill stop short oi the oilset of the lowermost cap.

As the head and magazine lower at the end of the capping operation.plate 49 is swung in a counter-clockwise direction and cam 50 releasespin 53. Projection 28 of the ejector strikes the bottom cap and carriesthe latter from beneath the remainder of the stack to the ledge 2|. Asthis position is approached the hook 52 strikes Din ll and the blade 43is returned to the position of Figures 2 and 4 and the machine is readyfor the next capping operation.

It will be understood that the disclosure herein is intended as typicaland not as restrictive of the invention and that we do not limitourselves 'to details of construction except as in the iollowing claim.

We claim: Cam feeding apparatus comprising means providing a bottomsupport for a stack oi' caps. a

tion of movement of said member to insert said blade and including anabutment portion engaging said pin in the other direction of movement ofsaid member to retract said blade, and means for ejecting said lowermostcap while the blade is inserted.

ROBERT J. STEWART.

JOHN S. BARTLEY.

Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,384,052.

September 4, 1945.

ROBERT J. STEWART ET A L.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specificationof the above numbered patent requirin for Cam read Cap; an

correction as follows: Page 2, second column, line 74, that the seidLetters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the samemay conform to the record of the case in the Patent Oflice.

Signed and sealed this 1st day of October, A. D. 1946.

[ml-l LESLIE FRAZER,

First Assistant ommzssoner of Patents.

tion of movement of said member to insert said blade and including anabutment portion engaging said pin in the other direction of movement ofsaid member to retract said blade, and means for ejecting said lowermostcap while the blade is inserted.

ROBERT J. STEWART.

JOHN S. BARTLEY.

Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,384,052.

September 4, 1945.

ROBERT J. STEWART ET A L.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specificationof the above numbered patent requirin for Cam read Cap; an

correction as follows: Page 2, second column, line 74, that the seidLetters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the samemay conform to the record of the case in the Patent Oflice.

Signed and sealed this 1st day of October, A. D. 1946.

[ml-l LESLIE FRAZER,

First Assistant ommzssoner of Patents.

